Event : Bobbi Brown x Holiday 2013 Collection Preview

Monday, October 21, 2013

Two weeks ago, I was invited to a media event for Bobbi Brown's Holiday 2013 Collection Preview and I brought my Mom as my +1. It started with a catwalk featuring matured models (aged 35 and above) from a reality TV series "Models Reinvented" and all the ladies wore Bobbi Brown makeup.



Didn't take alot of photos of the runway show cause I was way in awe how young and amazing these ladies look.

You wouldn't believe that these ladies are all 35 and above. Moral of the story ? With Bobbi Brown's Holiday 2013 collection, you can achieve that glamour red carpet look effortlessly whether you are fifteen or fifty.


There was also a make up demonstration by Bobbi Brown's makeup trainer Sophian Loh.

Now let's see what Bobbi Brown has to offer this season. Holiday 2013 is all about Old Hollywood and Gift Giving. Old Hollywood gives you the red carpet glam and you can party all day and night in style with shimmery glosses and glittery nails.
Top-Botton, L-R, Limited Edition Old Hollywood Eye Palette S$99. Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick S$45. Ink Liner S$40. Limited Edition High Shimmer Lip Gloss S$36. Limited Edition Nail Polish and Glitter Nail Polish S$29. Limited Edition Old Hollywood Lip Colour S$50.

And what's holiday season without Gift Giving ?! The Gift Giving collection is your perfect choice if you are looking for something somewhat less glamorous yet equally classy.

Clockwise direction, Smokey Cool/Warm Eye Palette S$108. Twilight Pink Lip & Eye Palette S$110. Old Hollywood Travel Brush Set S$230. Everyday Pretty / Date Night Lip & Eye Palette S$59.

There were also other items such as Sequin Shimmer Brick Eye Palette S$99, Nude Glow Shimmer Brick S$75 and the Lip Gloss Trio S$77 which I didn't manage to snap photos of. But anyways, the Bobbi Brown’s Holiday 2013 Collection will be available at all Bobbi Brown Studios from November 2013 onwards at the following locations - ION Orchard, Tampines Mall, Isetan Scotts, Isetan Katong, Takashimaya, Robinsons The Centrepoint, Robinsons Raffles City, Robinsons JEM, Tangs VivoCity, Tangs Orchard.

Before I forget, the generous Bobbi Brown Team also presented Mom and myself a door gift each. It was wrapped with a beautiful red bow just like how a perfect Christmas present would look. Stay tuned for a mini review and swatch post.

Just to share : Breakup Tips

Sunday, August 18, 2013

If you're facing a tough time after a failed relationship, this post would probably be useful !


When a relationship ends, people tend to over-complicate things and over-analyze every thought and emotion we have. What you need to remember is that you don’t have to make yourself miserable when a situation doesn't work the way you expected it to. Here's some tips for all you lonely souls out there to get over your blues.

1. The first question to ask yourself is, “How does what I’m doing right now serve me ?" Seriously, you don't get happiness by hiding under the covers, sulking over a soured relationship. You can choose to be better. Instead of isolating yourself from everyone else and walloping in self pity, go out there and develop skills and habits to support you in BEING BETTER.

2. Self-Assessment. Make a list of the following,
  • the qualities that you like about yourself 
  • things you know that you are good at doing 
  • skills / talents that you have 
  • things that other people you respect appreciate about you 
  • prove each of the things on your list with real-life situations that you have done / are doing 
Read this list daily to boost your positive and powerful energies and to render criticism (especially ugly-break-up accusations) useless and unfounded. Never compare yourself to anyone else in her / his life. Seriously, why should you care ? Why want to be with someone who doesn't want to be with you ? If your partner compares you to a new lover, defuse their abuse by saying, “Sounds like you deserve each other. Good luck,” and get away from them. Choose to have a better-for-you situation all the way around. 

3. Identify how the person differs from the ideal you hold / held of her / him. Every time you begin torturing yourself with false visions of how you want to believe he / she is, remember how he / she really is and notice how huge the difference is. Most often, we will see warning signs in relationships but our commitment to our fantasy ideals set us up for a“predictable disappointment.” Perhaps, we can choose to commit to paying attention to the signs in order to make healthy relationship choices along the way. 

4. Don’t play the “make-wrong-game” on yourself or your partner. The reason you feel that the situation was “wrong” was because it did not meet your expectations. The make-wrong-game fosters negative, toxic energy that turns in on yourself. Your time could be better used on forgiveness and loving yourself more so that you will attract the person who can love you the way you want to be loved and who will deserve to love you. 

5. Forgiveness. When you break it down the to lowest level, you are forgiving yourself and your partner for not showing up to fit your expectations and fantasies. Repeat to yourself “It could not have been any other way than the way it was.”

Wasting time on what could have been, would have been, should have been is completely unproductive. You could be indulging in some Love-Myself-Time and committing to your joy. Remember the good qualities that your partner had which attracted you to him / her. This alleviates you from making yourself wrong for the fact that the person stopped displaying those qualities with you. It also validates the qualities that you like in a partner and frees you to continue to enjoy them in the next person. Practicing this habit also allows you to smile and laugh at the good things, which in turn generates positive energy for your success. Forgive yourself for any and all situations that you participated in and acknowledge yourself for your good contributions. You did what you did, he / she did what he / she  did and that’s that. Nothing was ever all good or all bad. Let the good be valuable to your life lessons and let the bad be indications of what not to do in your next relationship. If the opportunity presents itself and is right, you can say you’re sorry that things didn't work out and wish your partner well. You do this as part of evolving to the next level of forgiveness for yourself and for completion with your partner. Have no attachment to their behavior or the outcome. Forgiveness is first and foremost for youself. 

6. Listen to your thoughts and actively choose to condition them to support your goals. Pay attention. Check in before you freak out. Don’t be afraid of what you will find inside yourself because your ultimate power for happiness is within you. By constantly dwelling on negative, self-defeating thoughts, you create a void within yourself. “Nature seeks to fill a void,” so if you are not careful of what you put in, the probability for all kinds of dreadful crap to fill your vessel is very realistic. Again, develop skills and habits to support you in BEING BETTER.

7. Stop whining and move on. It seems that far too many of us are conditioned to be addicted to misery. Too many people spend enormous amount of time and energy making themselves miserable and when they can’t do that adequately, they look to make others miserable as well. Misery is the comfort zone for people who fail to brave to be better. The best way to make yourself – and others who have to tolerate you is to “beat a dead horse,” as the dreadful expression goes. It is valid to have your feelings, to grieve, and to have your processes. However, it is not the goal to make the grieving process your new existence. On this occasion, a little tough love will get straight to the point - grow up, stop whining, take positive action, and move on. Many people are not aware that they are trapped in the misery-making-mode. So, a good way to check if you are is to look in the mirror. Can you smile at yourself and like what you see ? If not, do whatever it takes to be better. Take responsibility for the energy you bring. 

8. Learn to enjoy your own company. This is the most important step of all. Without realising it, many people jump into relationships to avoid feeling lonely and being alone. This fear is generated from a lack of self-validation and self-appreciation. If you don’t like your own company, why should anyone else ? Make it a conscious habit to be good to yourself and with yourself. 

As you become better, there is the strong probability that many of the people you thought were part of your support system become tacky in ways that appear to be jealous. Don’t take this as a personal attack. They are feeling their comfort zones being shaken by you braving to be better. You may have to make some tough choices to let them go – which may only be temporary. But as you commit to loving and caring for yourself, you will attract people of like minds, like energies, and the ability to love you the way you deserve to be loved ! 

Source: x

GFS 5th Anniversary

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Holla people ! I am extremely atrocious. I left my blog sitting here for close to 3 months. I was still thinking how should I even begin this entry without talking about how irresponsible I have been to abandon this space once again. I actually wish I have a more meaningful / convincing excuse like I've been trying to save the world etc but the cold hard truth is that I was simply too caught up with work. So before I got lazy and leave this blogosphere again, here's a pictorial update - GFS 5th Anniversary.

 
Lucky draw prizes

 
Alex & his missed-hit Samsung Note

 
& YOURS TRULY WON SECOND PRIZE YO !!

 
Jasmine, with her long service award plaque and Tag-Heuer watch


Till then !

Talk about beauty : O.S.T Original Pure Vitamin C20 Serum Review

Saturday, May 18, 2013

SPONSORED REVIEW

Last month, I was approached by Wishtrend to be one of their official Singapore bloggers and I couldn't stop smiling about the entire deal because I am currently on a transition to switch to Korean skincare and makeup products as of late and this is definitely the right time to be sponsored by Wishtrend. I really gotta admit I am freaking lucky man.

So what is Wishtrend ?
Wishtrend is literally your hub of beauty secrets. They have all the top selling Korean skincare and makeup products you can ever imagine and the best thing is that they ship worldwide ! It doesn't matter who you are, where you are. They ship to anywhere on the planet that receives regular postal services.


And so, after all the liaising and all, I received one of their weekly best product, O.S.T Original Pure Vitamin C20 Serum.
The serum comes in a tinted glass bottle due to the Vitamin C contents. If you still haven't known, Vitamin C oxidizes easily even under room temperature and therefore Vitamin C products are often to be refrigerated and comes in tinted bottles to prevent UV rays from entering and damaging the product.



One thing I adore about this product is its fresh, citrus-y scent. It is just the right for me, not too heavy nor too sweet, just the right amount for a refreshing feel. Upon application, it is slightly sticky, but is quickly absorbed into the skin and leaves my skin feeling velvety smooth.

For the younger ones out there, it is never too early to start fighting age. For the matured out there, I totally feel you when you say you are starting to see signs of aging on your skin. The O.S.T Original Pure Vitamin C20 Serum will help retain your youthful and radiant skin by battling oxidants with Vitamin C. The Vitamin C content also help reverses DNA damage and stimulates the production of collagen. Think healing of acne scars, plumping of fine lines and gaining back all the lost confidence from battling with aging over the years ! Not only does the O.S.T Original Pure Vitamin C20 Serum make our skin look younger, it also brightens up dull skin, giving us the much sought after Korean Ulzzang look !

After all the talking, it's sharing time ! All my readers are entitled a discount of USD 3 off your purchase.

Quote 'RFXLSCOZ' to receive the discount. Discount is valid till the end of 2013, with minimum purchase of USD 20.



Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/wishtrend.sg
Website: Official Website, Qoo10

Till then, xoxo !

Event : Olay Look good, Feel Great' Masterclass

Thursday, May 9, 2013

SPONSORED EVENT
Remember my entry regarding the Olay Regenerist Advanced Anti-ageing Micro Sculpting Cream sometime in March ? Click here for the entry if you haven't read about it. Some time in early April, Olay held a 'Look good, Feel Great' masterclass at the Four Seasons Hotel.




Here we have Olay's Senior Scientist, David Khoo, who shared about the latest skincare technology for the All New Olay Regenerist range.


Myth Buster

Skin fatigue is caused by stress. True ? Or false ?



There was also a demonstration where he mixed both the Olay New Regenerist and a prestige skincare brand with water in separate bottles. He then asked a participant to shake both bottles to test its solubility. The Olay New Regenerist quickly dispersed in the water which indicates a possible high absorption level in the skin. A good skin care product is usually more water-dispersed. This is because the main composition of our skin is water, and more water-dispersed products can carry the ingredients deeper in skin layers.

Apart from the previous Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream (read my review here), the ever so loving folks of Cozycot & Olay also kindly gifted me two products - Olay Regenerist Revitalizing Serum and Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Eye Cream and Lash Serum Duo. I'll do a review on these two soon though. Time for me to hit the sacks !!

Talk about beauty : Suntory Milcolla Collagen Powder

Saturday, May 4, 2013

People often say a woman's skin stops producing collagen after they are 25. The body will then start losing collagen at a rate of 1.5% per annum, leaving us with a wrinkly and dull complexion. Having said that, I am 25 now and being in the mid-twenties, it is definitely frightening to know that age catches up in such a fast and harsh manner. Especially when you have the world's most baby-faced boyfriend who still looks like he's 20 at the age of 25.

 

Unfair right ! While us girls spend almost all our money and time to go for facials and buy skin care products, all guys do is use tap water to wash their face or some even more solid ones, just ONE product to wash their hair, body and face. Yet they look more ravishing as they age.

BUT !! I have been receiving comments lately that I am looking younger than my actual age. I personally don't think so la but if quite a handful of people is telling me the same thing then it should be at least 70% true right. Don't say I am selfish cause I am going to share with you my secret to obtaining eternal youth.

Presenting to you, the mother of all Collagen,

 Suntory Milcolla Collagen Powder 



Because I am quite the gia xi (scaredy cat) type, I did quite a fair bit of research before purchasing them to see if it works and if there are any side effects. Some people have expressed disbelief on the internet that ingesting collagen will not work and collagen has to be produced by your own body. But scientific studies have also showed that oral ingestion of collagen will help improve certain aspects of health. Especially our skin, wrinkles and joint and limb health.

Typical collagen has very large molecular weight, making it difficult to absorb. Having said that, Milcolla was made easy to absorb with its small molecule size you can take in approximately 60 times the amount of collagen as other collagen sources. Beauty loss with old age is a major concern and you can't lose much with the strong proactive support of this miraculously formulated supplement.

Taking adequate collagen with your regular meals can be difficult but with one spoon of Suntory's Milcolla Collagen powder, you can easily receive 5000mg a day. All you need to do is add one spoon of Suntory's Milcolla Collagen powder into your usual morning beverage and you're good to go. It doesn't taste or smell fishy like many other collagen consumables out there. Trust me, I had tried and tested enough brands to rave about this.


I am replenishing my stocks for Milcolla so if you guys are interested, drop me an email with the quantity and I'll order for you guys as well. Each packet is SGD 46 exclusive of postage and there will be free registered postage if you purchase 3 packets and above. Interested parties, please email me at toxikk_@hotmail.com

What is YOUR holy grail collagen supplement ? Share it with me on http://ask.fm/tinhuishan ! And if I can, I would purchase them and feature them here and share with everyone else too !

Food Haunts : Tim Ho Wan (添好運) Singapore at Plaza Singapura !

Sunday, April 14, 2013

To all you dimsum lovers out there, the famous Michelin Star Dim Sum Restaurant from Hong Kong Tim Ho Wan is finally here in Singapore ! I first heard about this news from Gladys, or was it Yucui I can't remember and I was super excited cause ever since B and I visited their main outlet in Hong Kong last year (read post here) I have been trying to find a store in Singapore that sell Baked Bolo Buns that were as yummy as Tim Ho Wan's but to no avail. I had high expectations for their bolo buns after my visit in Hong Kong but somehow I was disappointed with their spread here in Singapore.



68 Orchard Road #01-29A
Plaza Singapura, Singapore 238839
Tel : +65 6383 2828 

Introducing the Big 4 Heavenly Kings 四大天王,

 
 Steamed Egg Cake (香滑馬來糕) S$3.80 for 1 pc 

Right at the top of the menu, is Tim Ho Wan's Big 4 Heavenly Kings. First up is the Steamed Egg Cake which I personally think resembles the colourful steam cake that we often find at pasar malam but this is much more soft and fragrant of course. I was pretty impressed by its flavour and softness as it was the first time I ever had such soft steamed egg cake (I didn't order this back in Hong Kong)

 
 Vermicelli Roll with Pig's Liver (黄沙猪润腸) S$5.50 for 3 rolls 

The second of the Big 4, which is also my most anticipated dish. I have had vermicelli rolls with a variation of fillings before but I had never tried one with pig's liver. I read certain review that the skin of the roll was a tad too thick and not as flavourful but I beg to differ. I personally think that the thickness was alright except that it came a little too cold. Perhaps it was just me cause I was busy snapping away before I got down to tasting it.

 
Baked Bun with BBQ Pork (酥皮焗叉燒包) S$4.50 for 3 pcs 

Third on the Big 4 list, is the baked bolo bun that I have mentioned right at the start of this post. I think there is nothing much to say about this particular dish. I was mad disappointed. The one I had tasted back in Hong Kong was much much better. The crust was crispy and the filling was generous and juicy unlike the ones in Singapore which I personally feel not as 饱满.

See how hollow the bun was ):

 
 Pan Fried Carrot Cake (香煎萝卜糕) S$4.5 for 3 pcs

The last of the Big 4, Pan Fried Carrot Cake. It is not the ordinary carrot cake that you will out there. It is soft and filmsy, with generous amount of radish and lap cheong which made the entire carrot cake rather flavourful. Apart from the Big 4 Heavenly Kings 四大天王, Mom and I ordered a few more dishes.

 
 Steamed Prawn Dumpling a.k.a Har Gao (晶瑩鮮蝦餃) S$5.50 for 4pcs 

When it comes to dimsum, it is a must to order Har Gao. If it's good, then the dimsum restaurant is definitely worth a visit. I love how the dumpling skin is neither too hard nor thick, coupled with juicy and succulent crunchy prawns.

 
Glutinous Rice Dumpling (古法糯米鸡), S$5.00 for 1 pc

The Glutinous Rice Dumpling was another dish that I felt was not comparable with the ones I had in Hong Kong. Like in Hong Kong, it was also the last dish to arrive and despite being full from the earlier dishes, I actually managed to finish the one in Hong Kong but here in Singapore, I think the rice dumpling is a little too hard and dry. The fillings are no doubt flavourful but the chicken lacks moisture like the rice.

 
Spring Roll with Egg White (賽螃蟹春卷) S$4.20 for 3pcs 

The entire idea of having egg whites in replacement of radish for spring roll as unique but again, I felt that the filling was not enough. Skin was crispy no doubt but as I sink my teeth into the spring roll, all i could taste was the crisps from the skin and nothing else. It didn't even felt like there was filling in it.

My overall verdict, D.I.S.A.P.P.O.I.N.T.E.D. To be very honest, as much as I enjoyed some of the dishes, there were more nays than yays. Most of the dishes did not live up to the hype, let alone live up to the name of Michelin 1 star. To think I wasted 1 hour of my life queuing for something which is so disappointing. I would not say it was untasty but it just isn't quite as awesome as I had in Hong Kong. Nonetheless, everyone deserves a second chance and I will be visiting Tim Ho Wan when the hype is gone and hopefully the recipes will get better by then. For those who are trying out Tim Ho Wan for the first time, I think you will enjoy it pretty well. For those who have tried the ones in Hong Kong, I suggest you visit at a later date so you will not feel the same disappointment like I did.

Talk about health : How can you lose weight by drinking more water ?

Sunday, March 10, 2013



Stay Energized

Studies have shown that staying hydrated with sufficient water while exercising can result in the ability to complete more reps and remain energized. This means the simple act of drinking enough water can directly increase the number of calories you'll burn, because you'll have more energy during your routine than you would have had if you were insufficiently hydrated.




Minimize Hunger

Consuming water prior to a meal will allow you to fill up your stomach without the evil of extraneous calories. This will minimize your chances of binging on food, because it will make you less hungry than you would have been.




Fill Up on Water Before Meals

The American Chemical Society suggests drinking 16 ounces (two cups) of water prior to every meal. Drinking this recommended amount while cutting down on the size of your meal portions makes you increases your chances of shedding pounds and keeping them off in the long run.




Opt for Zero Calories

Too many people these days substitute high-calorie beverages like soda, juice or alcohol for water during their meals. The situation gets even worse when you factor in the typical drink size at most fast food joints and restaurants.

Think of all the sugary, high-calorie drinks you consume in a given week, and imagine all the calories you could save by switching to water - if even for just one substitution per day. It's true that you can cut down on calories by switching to low-calorie diet sodas and juices in lieu of their regular counterparts, but diet drinks tend to increase your desire to eat. Water with every meal is the perfect choice when you're looking to cut down on calories.




Hydrate to Burn Fat

Whether you are vigorously exercising or burning a few calories just sitting down and chewing gum at work, your body needs sufficient hydration in order to efficiently use those calories for fat-burning. So, whether you're burning 100 or 1,000 calories, you still need to drink plenty of water for them to be burned as efficiently as possible.




Fulfill Your Hydration Needs

More research is necessary for accurately determining the water needs for every person, but the Institute of Medicine recommends that women drink 15 cups (2.7 liters) of water per day, while men should drink 18 cups (3.7 liters). These recommended amounts for body efficiency are total water amounts, and they account for water you consume in coffee, fruit and vegetables also.




Lose Weight Quickly

If you're looking to shed weight in a hurry, one way of doing so is to consume plenty of water while cutting down on your sodium intake. The decision to eliminate dietary salt (the pretzels and turkey you eat in the breakroom, the canned foods you prepare on the stove, or the chips or nuts you snack on between meals) while increasing your water intake will allow you to drop water weight quickly.




Flush Toxins

Whether you are burning hundreds of calories at the gym or handfuls of calories walking from place to place, the act of burning calories releases toxins inside your body. Drinking a sufficient amount of water allows your body to flush out those toxins, rather than letting them hang around all throughout your dehydrated day.




Keep Oxygen Circulating

Based on water's chemical compound (h2o), correlation between water intake and your body's oxygen level should be rather obvious. When you don't drink a sufficient amount of water, your blood volume decreases. This means your muscles are failing to get necessary oxygen, and you will become exhausted more quickly as a result.




Muscle Maintenance

Your body needs water for countless reasons, and one such reason is to make life easier on your muscles. When you are exercising, you are putting a heavy toll on most - if not all - of your muscles. Sufficient water is necessary for the proper lubrication of your joints, and it drinking to your needs will drastically minimize the amount of soreness you'll feel later.